


I Am Glad You Are Here

by MidnightCity



Category: Formula E RPF, Motorsport RPF
Genre: Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-04
Updated: 2018-03-04
Packaged: 2019-03-27 00:38:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,855
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13869375
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MidnightCity/pseuds/MidnightCity
Summary: JEV has an uncanny ability to understand exactly what André isn't saying.





	I Am Glad You Are Here

Still holding hands, JEV and André walked up the stairs – JEV was still telling him the newest details about his European Le Mans Series ride while André listened. He felt content as he noticed how his eyes were shinning as they talked about the new opportunities. They had just returned from their dinner date in Paris, laughing together, teasing each other while flirting blatantly.

Then JEV produced a key but he soon discovered that it wouldn’t unlock the door. After a few futile pushes and shoves against the door, JEV remembered that his sister was prone to leaving the key inside the lock. Thus, making it impossible to unlock the door from the outside.

While André sank down on the floor with a sigh and resigned to his fate, JEV tried to call Lea.

However, she didn’t seem to pick up. After a few more futile and pathetic looking attempts, André slapped JEV’s legs and padded the space next to him. “Come here.”

This stopped the string of creative curses that had left his mouth and he let himself down next to him. JEV used the opportunity and snuggled close to André. When he gave him a look, JEV only mumbled, “I am getting cold.”

André felt a smile spread across his face, placing his chin on top of JEV’s head and pressed a small kiss on it.  As they waited, their quiet conversation began to drift off, and André noticed that JEV started to doze. A content smile had formed on his face.

At the same time, André felt oddly over-whelmed by the emotions of this situation. It had been a long time since he had been this close to another human being, and it had been even longer since it had meant something as well.

Watching JEV feel so at home near him had nearly destroyed a wall around his heart that André had fiercely protected all the years before. He knew that he couldn’t help it now. After all, watching as he made JEV laugh uncontrollably was one of the best sensations he had felt in his life. It shouldn’t have surprised him, that when they had kissed - fuelled by the adrenaline of their Santiago win - that the fumbling and heated kissing had turned into something slower while they whispered gentle words and promises between them …

As soon as they had had the chance, they had snuck away from the party, retreating into the safety and privacy of their hotel. Hidden away, they had shared smaller kisses, never letting go of one another while talking about what could be the future, and never missing an opportunity to share a joke.

They hadn’t been dating for long, but André had already been sure back then that JEV would always be able to make him smile.

 

* * *

 

“Are you even listening?”

“Huh?” André stared at him blankly – tearing his mind away from daydreaming about the recent past. He was sat on the kitchen counter now inside the flat while JEV cleaned up the mess that the prank on Lea had caused. After half an hour, she had finally noticed the missed calls and had let them inside.

JEV rolled his eyes and once more pointed at something behind André.

When he turned around, he noticed the kitchen towel. With a sigh he stretched to take it when his gaze fell onto the water bottle he still held in his other hand: a bit of water was still inside. Biting back a smirk, he held the towel in one hand and, as JEV stepped closer to take it, André flicked the remaining water into JEV’s direction. Most of it ended up on his face, the rest left marks on his shirt.

The look of betrayal on his face was too funny to ignore and so André couldn’t help the laughter that bubbled up inside of him. Only when JEV cracked up as well, did André fling the towel at him.

“Idiot,” JEV mumbled under his breath, as he began to dry off his face - and yet, André could spot the twitch of his lips.

After he had dried himself off, and finished with the floor, André hopped down from the kitchen counter and cleared his throat. For a moment he inspected the towel JEV had handed him back. Then he mustered the little bit of courage he had and muttered, “I better get going now.”

Since he heard no immediate reply from JEV, he set off towards the door. Only then did he feel a hand on his arm, stopping him.

“What, why?”

André bit his lips and forced a smile. He tried to sound nonchalant as he explained. “You know … your sister has the guest room …” he left the words hanging.

While they had spent most of his stay in the apartment together, André had always slept in the guest room. This gave him a private space where he could retreat and process the emotions that felt new again.

“André …” JEV smirked and cocked his head to the master-bedroom. “… I know a solution to this.”

At those words, André felt his stomach twist. It was not like he wouldn’t enjoy sleeping with him, or that he didn’t want to … he knew too well that the urge was there. After all, JEV was a funny and attractive man. They were friends, connected easily, and had a lot in common. André felt comfortable near him, and JEV appealed to him. And yet …

André hated this pathetic behaviour about himself. He knew that it wasn’t the thought of sex that scared him. Instead it was being so close to someone again, and that in doing so he might lose his significant other once more. It might hurt even more than before and maybe he wouldn’t recover … 

“Hey?” JEV’s voice brought him back. He placed his hand under his chin and gently tilted his head up to look into his eyes. “André?”

Right now, André was very keen to not look at him, being frustrated with his own incompetence, and that he couldn’t even explain to him why he still felt reluctance. The words just wouldn’t come out, his throat closed up at the mere thought – even when JEV was one of the kindest men he knew.

As he felt JEV’s thumb run over his cheek, the only things André saw in his eyes were love and care – it broke his heart more than he cared to admit.

“We do not need to have sex …” JEV explained quietly. “… If this is what you are worried about.”

André wanted to reply with a joke and brush it off. Instead he bit his lips, and this seemed to be the confirmation that JEV needed to know that he had assumed correctly. 

“You are not staying in a hotel, or on that couch,” JEV insisted as a small smile formed on his lips. “But I want you near me if you allow it. That is enough.”

Then he took a small step towards him and gave André a soft kiss onto his lips. As they parted, JEV held his face in his hands, gently stroking along the jawline.

“I just …” André tried to explain his behaviour, however, more than that wouldn’t come out. His stomach twisted at the idea of revealing the feelings he had hidden for years.

 “You don’t have to explain,” JEV told him quietly.

“Thank you,” André muttered in response. He felt pathetic because of his inability to explain and for even having those feelings in the first place.

Before he could beat himself up further, JEV took a step towards him - he was so close that their noses were brushing. Then he tilted his head and pressed a kiss onto André’s lips. He lingered, giving them all the time in the world. André responded by placing a hand on JEV’s hips, edging him a little closer. He intensified their kiss, letting his tongue travel over JEV’s lips.

A small laugh escaped JEV and he pulled away, with a grin on his face.

“Je suis heureux que vous soyez là,” JEV whispered, and kissed him again. Then he rested his head against André’s, closing his eyes all while a happy hum escaped him.

“So am I,” André agreed. The resentment and self-hatred were almost gone. He was sure that JEV would respect his limits and boundaries, taking things only as far as he was comfortable with.

André took JEV’s hand and placed it between his. Letting his fingers run over the rough skin, he inwardly scolded him for not taking better care of them in the cold weather.

Then he placed a soft kiss on them, feeling the skin underneath his lips and watching as JEV’s eyes lit up. The sight was worth everything to André, and in response his heart started to skip a beat. He realised that it had been years since he had thought like this.

“Viens avec moi,” JEV offered.

He gave his hand a squeeze and began to walk into the direction of his bedroom. They never let go of each other as André trailed along. André couldn’t help the slight giggle, since JEV insisted on walking backwards to never lose sight of him.

“Walk normally before you crash into something,” André insisted and man-handled him into the correct direction.

“If one of us tends to crash into something …” JEV began, stopping suddenly. This way André bumped into him, and JEV began to laugh uncontrollably. “... it is you.”

Biting back the grin, André rolled his eyes and smacked the back of his head. “Yeah, yeah.”

JEV turned around and poked the middle of his chest. “That hurt.”

André just shrugged his shoulders.

“Kiss me … as an apology,” JEV demanded.

“If you insist.” André cupped his face, looking into his eyes for as long as he could until their lips met. JEV let out a happy and surprisingly high-pitched whine when André nibbled at his lips.

 

* * *

 

 

André’s eyes snapped open, and for a moment panic set in as his eyes tried to adjust to the dark. After racing for so many years he should be used to waking up in strange places, but it still took a moment to remember that he was in France, in JEV’s flat and bedroom. 

Slowly, he began to recognise the furniture in the room, and noticed the arm that was draped over his chest. André’s was resting above it. André felt his heart slow down and he started to become calm again – in the knowledge that he was save when JEV was near him.

Turning his head to the side, he saw that JEV was sleeping on his back, one arm between them while the other was awkwardly stretched over to reach André. A small smile formed on André’s lips as he turned and rested his head on JEV’s chest. In response JEV muttered something indistinguishable and wrapped his arms around him.

A comfortable sigh escaped André and he pressed a kiss onto his chest before closing his eyes once more. André was now certain that he knew once more that this was where he was supposed to be.  


End file.
